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'Chaser' - Game Engine Details & Screens

Chaser will be powered by the custom-built, revolutionary Cloak NT game engine. The engine has been created to support vertex shaders and pixel shaders. In addition, players will be able to view complex materials such as volumetric fog, projected lights and shadows, a full skeletal animation system with a wide range of facial expressions and a unique physics and particle system. All of which has combined to create a realistic visual experience that places Chaser at the very pinnacle of technical capabilities.

The Chaser engine is capable of processing millions of polygons per second, whilst a typical scene from Chaser will feature architechture of 20,000 polygons with another 10,000-20,000 per character. Every character will be able to cast shadows as they move through the levels. Through this incredible detail, gamers will be treated to a stunning display.

The game will be capable of showing reflective surfaces such as metal, glass and oil in all their glory. Such is the power of the physics engine within Chaser particles, bullets or characters can even create waves within water.

The physics system within the game will mean that players see realistic effects on solid objects. For example, objects will fall realistically and objects will move realistically when they are affected by explosions.

Chaser will give players the opportunity to incorporate stunning graphical effects such as breaking glass which can be broken by bullets or explosions. The glass will then shatter exactly as it would do in real life with some crashing to the floor, whilst shards remain in the frame. This incredibly realistic system is not just consigned to rectangular windows, but will also be implemented when the player breaks vases, bottles, etc.

Commenting on Chaser, Colin Grant, Marketing Manager of JoWooD Productions, said: “With the incredible Cauldron development team in the driving seat of Chaser, they have created a a phenomenal engine and a revolutionary gameplay experience – making playing Chaser comparable to a Space Shuttle engine powering a Porsche. Because Chaser is so innovative, any other game powered by the Cloak NT engine would end up being like a Space Shuttle engine strapped to a wheelchair!”

Chaser will be released in the UK in Q2 2003 on PC CD Rom with an ELSPA rating of 15+.